Hawaii County Civil Defense Administrator Quince Mento has announced his retirement effective tomorrow (Dec. 1). In his place, John T. Drummond, an administrative officer at Civil Defense, will serve as interim administrator.

Quince Mento (Photo Hawaii 24/7)

Mento, 53, is a Hawaii Island native and 1976 graduate of Konawaena High School. He has been in charge of keeping island residents safe from natural and man-made dangers for three and a half years. Prior to his appointment, Mento worked his way up through the ranks of the Honolulu and Hawaii County Fire Departments from firefighter to assistant chief.

“I’ve spent 29-and-a-half years in public safety, and it takes a toll on you,” said Mento, who added he has no immediate plans except to relax for a while. “This job is 24 hours a day and I need to start thinking about my health.”

Mento said he is proud of the advances Civil Defense has made in the time he has led the seven-person operation. “I think we’ve made some major improvements in the notification system, communications technology and relationships with partner agencies,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed the privilege of serving our island and I hope I’ve made some impact.”

Using the word “hectic” to describe the position of the Civil Defense administrator, Mento would not say the job is the toughest among his fellow state directors, but added that situations are unceasing. “Flash flooding, hurricane warnings, lava flows, earthquakes, tsunamis, vog alerts, brush fires,” said Mento. “It is incessant in terms of what is going on.”

Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi said the retirement of Mento is a significant loss for the county. “It has been an honor and privilege serving with Quince,” said Kenoi. “He is going to be sorely missed and it’s going to be tough to fill his shoes.”

Mento and his wife, Joanne, have two children: Cullen is a freshman at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Grayson is a junior at Hilo High School.

Drummond, who has worked at Hawaii County Civil Defense for more than three years, will serve with the assistance of Police Chief Harry Kubojiri and Fire Chief Darren Rosario during the 45-day search for a permanent replacement.

“We expect to have a new administrator in place by mid-January,” said Mayor Kenoi. “But I expect a smooth transition from Quince, to John and then to the new administrator.”

Someone once said that volunteers aren’t paid because they are priceless, and the phrase rings true at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, where a total of 1,058 volunteers have logged a cumulative 88,499 hours of priceless service this year. That’s the equivalent of 43 full-time equivalent employees.

Ed Shiinoki

The park’s volunteer program encompasses nearly every task imaginable. Volunteers plant endemic seedlings and remove invasive species. They identify and protect sea turtle nesting sites and steer newly hatched turtles to the ocean. Others enlighten visitors by providing guided treks, sharing information at the Kīlauea Visitor Center, or leading cultural workshops. Some help by archiving resources in the park library, or go out in the field to log and protect archaeological sites. Several work in the backcountry maintaining trails, while others help out by filing and tallying volunteer program hours.

Alana McKinney

These volunteers are deeply appreciated and relied upon by visitors and staff all year long, but were officially celebrated at a luncheon today in the park. Alana McKinney, Marcy “Minky” Markowitz, Charlie Ricketts and Dave Boyle received special plaques for giving 10,000 hours of service, and Ed Shiinoki and Charlene and Amos Meyers were honored for completing 5,000 hours of unpaid service.

Amos Meyers

“My job description is to just help,” says Ed Shiinoki, who spends much of his time leading guided hikes, assisting curious visitors at the visitor center, and building trails, and trail signs. Shiinoki says sharing the dynamic environment of active volcanoes, science and the Hawaiian culture with visitors in a moving, memorable way provides him with a strong sense of joy, and satisfaction.

Charlene Meyers

Shiinoki lives in Volcano and Honolulu, and began volunteering in 2007. He feels a deep connection to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. “This is my pu‘uwai, my heart. Now I belong to the park,” he said. But volunteers aren’t required to commit as much time as Shiinoki and his colleagues, who are all retired.

Charlie Ricketts

Volunteers can contribute as little as four hours a week and make a huge difference. Some, like Nell Nunn, complete three-month assignments then move on to volunteer at other national parks across the country.

“I love to travel and to volunteer,” Nunn said. “It gives me the opportunity to get to know parts of the U.S. And I increase my own learning every time I interact with a visitor.” Today marks Nunn’s last day with Hawai‘i Volcanoes, then she’s off to El Morro National Monument in New Mexico.

Dave Boyle

“The park’s history was written by volunteers from the very beginning,” said Superintendent Cindy Orlando. “People who love this place have worked hard for nearly 100 years to protect it and educate others about it. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, like other national parks, has been sustained significantly by the donated time of volunteers,” she said.

The park provides dormitory-style housing for a few volunteers from the mainland and other countries, and gives them a small meal allowance. Married couples who volunteer together can share a room in park housing. All volunteers receive training, supervision, and assistance by park employees.

Partner organizations also help the park immeasurably. The Hawai‘i Natural History Association provides funding for volunteer housing, transportation and utilities, as well as funds programs for interpretative walks and talks, backcountry patrols, and endangered species projects aimed at nēnē, hawksbill sea turtle (honu ‘ea) and Hawaiian petrel (‘u‘au) recovery.

The Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and its “Connect People with the Park” efforts focus on education, volunteerism and philanthropy. The Friends group holds monthly Volunteer Forest Restoration Projects, plus raises funds for two critically endangered species via the Nēnē Recovery Project and the Hawai‘i Island Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project.

At 8:09 a.m., Kona patrol officers responded to a report of a body floating off shore. By the time officers and firefighters arrived at the scene, the man had been pulled to shore by bystanders but was unresponsive. He was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:45 a.m.

Police do not suspect foul play. They have ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Jamie Kocher, CEO of the Waimea Bay Chili Pepper Company, and www.BambooandTikis.com, eats the largest and most spiciest part of the Bhut (Naga/Ghost) Jolokia Chili Pepper and this old man almost dies.

Eating the World's Hottest Pepper

The Bhut Jolokia holds the Guinness Book of World Record’s title as the hottest pepper. Jamie personally grows these peppers organically in Hawaii. For hours he writhes in the burning pain from the back heat of the world’s hottest pepper.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/1tRq8ExAHzk]

To purchase organic seeds or learn more about the chili pepper health benefits, or how to grow them please visit

I asked her if she wanted to thank anyone in particular for the help that she has received over the years and she stated:

…Everyone involved deserves a SHOUTOUT! We do from our hearts for those less fortunate than ourselves. Christmas is a time of sharing, giving, a time for the children to be happy.

Dreams and Wishes comes true; you just gotta believe!

So if you would like to donate to this project, I’m sure she can use assistance in all forms, especially folks on outer islands with a truck.

Check it out they are non-profit:

… In Nov. 2009, with the help of another legendary local woman, Kehaulani Watson, we began the process of setting up The Slippah Foundation, a genuine 501c3 nonprofit corporation! The board consists of Lynn, Kehau and me. We have incorporated, held our first meeting of the board, and are now in the process of getting a Employer Identification Number (EIN), after which we can set up a “real” bank account, when it will become “official.” When that happens, we’ll announce it loudly to the world, right here on slippah.org– Blaine Ferguson

“Dr. Baker comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and experience that will be put to good use as we complete the testing phase and ramp up manufacturing of premium granular activated carbon at our plant,” said Big Island Carbon CEO Rick Vidgen.

Amongst other responsibilities, Dr. Baker will oversee day-to-day operations at the carbon plant to ensure that the highly technical processes at Big Island Carbon achieves the desired end result – production of premium grade, specialty granular activated carbon.

Among his many areas of expertise, Dr. Baker has been awarded more than forty U.S. and foreign patents covering the production and applications of activated carbon, carbon fiber, and lignin materials with another six U.S. patent applications on carbon fiber in the USPTO pipeline.

He is recognized in the industry as an expert in the mechanisms of chemical and thermal activation of carbon and how to manipulate process conditions to tailor product properties to specific applications. Dr. Baker holds a Ph.D. in Surface Chemistry, a Bachelor of Technology degree in Applied Chemistry, and professional affiliations including Fellow, Chartered Chemist, and Chartered Scientist in the Royal Society of Chemistry. He is a Fellow and past Chairman of the American Carbon Society. He was most recently a Member of the Distinguished Research Staff at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

About Big Island Carbon, LLC
Big Island Carbon is a high technology start up company with $40+million in venture capital funding that is bringing macadamia shell from Big Island macadamia processors together with new technology modified to fit specific requirements. Two major processes convert macadamia shell feedstock, currently a largely unused byproduct from macadamia processing, into granular activated carbon (GAC) in a biomass conversion process. The plant is located in Kawaihae on Hawaii’s Big Island on land leased from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.
Big Island Carbon was selected to represent the County of Hawaii in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Hawaii Host Committee’s 2011 Hawaii Business Innovation Showcase November 7 to 13, 2011 in Honolulu. Learn more at www.BigIslandCarbon.com

Big Island police are searching for a 17-year-old girl reported as missing from Hilo since November 7.

Brittney Willet-Chaves

Brittney Willet-Chaves is described as Hawaiian, between 4-foot-8 and 5-foot-4, between 80-120 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

She was last seen wearing blue jeans and a red tank-top.

Police ask that anyone with information on her whereabouts call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

Kailua Park, also known as the Old Kona Airport Park, was vandalized Monday night or Tuesday morning, according to Bob Fitzgerald, director of the Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation.

Fitzgerald said the locks on gates were filled with cyanoacrylate, also known as “super glue,” concrete and human waste was mixed and poured down a number of toilets near the beach pavilions and sprinkler heads were broken off at the Friends for Fitness walking track. Fitzgerald estimated damage at about $3,000, although it could have been much more expensive if the concrete had time to cure and harden.

Parks maintenance officials said a group of people was ordered to leave the park recently after some of them were seen intentionally tipping over trash cans. Fitzgerald said he does not know if the incidents are related but said the information has been passed onto police.

Fitzgerald asked that anyone seeing suspicious activity at Kailua Park or any other county facility call the police dispatch number at 935-3311.

Should anyone have information regarding this incident, call Police Sgt. Gary Souther at 326-4646, or CrimeStoppers at 329-8181 in Kona. Calls which lead to an arrest or conviction may be eligible for a reward of as much as $1,000. Crime Stoppers does not record calls or subscribe to caller ID.

Most of us are pretty sick and tired of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) policies at the airports but realize they are in place to protect all of us.

Well it appears that a group of Honolulu TSA agents were taking their job a bit further and profiling folks that looked like Mexicans.

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, wrote a letter to TSA Administrator John Pistole after reports that Mexican passengers were targeted by TSA at airports in Honolulu, Hawaii and Newark, N.J.

The officers, who Thompson said were part of TSA’s Screening of Passengers by Observation Technique (SPOT) program, were engaging in racial profiling, the Mississippi lawmaker said.

Police Chief Harry Kubojiri has again asked the Hawaiʻi Police Activities League (HI-PAL) program to reach out to intermediate schools island wide to engage in a friendly competition to create a pledge against “ice” use. The winning pledge will be used and uttered by participants before the 31st Annual Winter Basketball Classic being held December 26-29.

Officer Joseph Botelho

The pledge must be short (three to five sentences), precise and to the point. It must include the phrase “Not Even Once,” which is part of the Hawaiʻi Meth Project’s message to Hawaiʻi’s youth.

All interested intermediate school students are encouraged to submit a pledge submission along with their name, age, school and grade. Application forms are available at the Police Department’s website (www.hawaiipolice.com).

Pledges entries can be submitted by any of the following methods:

Drop it off with the School Resource Officer at your intermediate school.
Drop it off at the HI-PAL office in either Hilo or Kona.
Mail it to: HI-PAL Program, c/o Hawaiʻi Police Dept., 349 Kapiʻolani Street, Hilo, HI 96720.
FAX it to 933-4000.
Scan and email it as an attachment to hcpd3838@co.hawaii.hi.us.

Interested students are advised to act quickly. To qualify, entries must be received by next Monday, December 5.

Anyone that has driven through the intersection at Highway 130 and Old Government Road (Malama Market Intersection) knows how dangerous that intersection is and how danger Highway 130 is in general.

Well it looks like that intersection is going to be turned into a round-a-bout fairly soon.

Department of Transportation (HDOT), Highways Division is seeking qualified consultants to provide general engineering services for Keaau-Pahoa Road, Intersection Improvements at Old Government Road, Island of Hawaii.

The Intent of project is to improve operations and address and reduce the number of crashes at subject intersection by converting existing T-Intersection into a single-lane modern roundabout.

Big Island Police are searching for a 41-year-old kayaker reported as possibly missing.

Lance Oliver

Lance Oliver of Kailua-Kona was last seen at Kahaluʻu Beach Park on November 22. He was scheduled to travel north along the coast to the Mahukona Beach area, then south to the Puʻuhonua O Honaunau City of Refuge, and finally return to Kahaluʻu Beach Park sometime around December 12.

He is described as 6-foot-2, approximately 200 pounds with a muscular build and short brown hair. He left in an inflatable boat or kayak.

Oliver has no cell phone or other form of communication with him.

Police ask that anyone with information on his whereabouts call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona.

The Hawai`i County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney is working on an Environmental Clean Up Campaign. A limited number of grants in the amount of $250.00 – $1,000.00, are available for private non-profit organizations or organizations that have a non-profit community sponsor to assist organizations in the clean up of illegal dump sites in the community.

Members of the Kau Church of Later Day Saints Pick Clean-Up Hawaii Ocean View Estates

Grants will be given to those organizations who demonstrate the ability to complete the project and who have community involvement and sustainability.

The number of grants given will be determined by several factors:

Availability of funds

Sustainability

Community Involvement

Budget Request

Timeline

Development of Partnerships

If you should have any questions please contact Howard Medeiros at the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney at 961-0466.

This website offers a directory of County offices and services available to the public, as well as a guide to a variety of government programs, recreational facilities, senior activities, permits and budget information, and County government job opportunities.

Our website is provided as a means of making Hawai‘i County government more understandable and accessible to the public. I sincerely hope you will find the website an informative source of news and information about our County government.

Big Island police have located 24-year-old Turner Kaimana Au of Puna, who was wanted for questioning. Au was arrested Saturday morning (November 26) on suspicion of first-degree burglary when South Hilo patrol officers stopped him for a traffic violation. He was released Sunday afternoon (November 27) while detectives continue their investigation.

Justin E. Fergerstrom

Police are asking for the community’s help in locating another man wanted for questioning in connection with this investigation. Detectives are seeking 28-year-old Justin E. Fergerstrom, who was last known to reside in Hilo. He is also wanted for an unrelated bench warrant.

Fergerstrom is described as 5-foot-8, about 150 pound with black hair and brown eyes.
Police ask that anyone with information on his whereabouts call Detective John Rodrigues Jr. at 961-2382 or the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

Rodney Naiole Kahele is described as 6-foot-1, 180 pounds with short black hair, brown eyes and numerous tattoos on his back, arms and legs. He was last seen in the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates area but he may be in South Kona.

Police ask that anyone with information on his whereabouts call Officer Dane Shibuya at 939-2520 or the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

Pahoa Village Disc Golf Course is the first “public” DG Course to be approved in the State of Hawaii. Funding has been approved! Pledges and Commitments have been made! Surveying has begun! Sponsors are being gathered!

Looking onto DownTown Pahoa Villlage from Ball Fields. DG Course area is located above Ball Fields. Community/Activities/Senior Center at far right edge of photo; Newly restored Akebono Theater (The State's oldest theater) is Green/White building with red roof; White building center under three Monkey Pod trees is old Fire Station, soon to be renovated as part of Community Center. Olympic Pool out of photo on left.

Perched on a beautiful property overlooking rustic and historic Pahoa Village, the freshly approved “Pahoa Village Disc Golf Course” has tremendous promise to be a premier location for holding World Class events.

One of the few par 3's for the Pros. Plans are to have par3 t-boxes throughout course for those just beginning in the game, or for those wanting to play a shorter more traditional DG course

Plans for multiple tee-pads and pin placements to accommodate all skill levels, along with extended par ranges in the 60’s to 70’s, in a suitably demographical area, should help to build a solid future for the Sport in Hawaii.

Image of tentative Course Layout. This is rough...subject to some probable changes and refining of path/pin details and data. In addition to Holes, this basic image depicts the outer boundry layer and existing roads..some of which will be incorporated into jogging/hiking nature trails.

Pahoa Village, located in the Puna District on the Big Island of Hawaii, has a very unique and Free Spirited character….and is still very influenced by “Old Hawaii” and Traditional ways. Pahoa’s unique Spirit stems from a mix of Asian and Western influence during the early times of Ohia (tree) harvesting for railroad ties in 1800’s, Sugar Plantations in the early to mid 1900’s, and the more recent liberal Surfer, Rainbow and Eco influences of the last 50yrs. Because Pahoa and Puna is projected to grow over the next 10yrs at a faster pace than any other area in the State, improvements to infrastructure are a current focus.

Approximately 55ft elevation change from front to back.

The Park is in a “prime” location, providing the Community an Activities and Senior Center, Youth Facilities and PlayScape, Baseball Fields, Basketball Court, Olympic Pool and Showers, Concrete Skate Park(with more expansion soon!)…..and now the State’s very first public Disc Golf Course!!